all done!

Approximately 7 minutes and 32 seconds ago I hit the send button on an email with my last paper of the semester attached to it. Hallelujah! I am starting to set new records in the paper writing department. Last Sunday I wrote 12 pages in 4 hours and today 11 pages in about 5 (probably less considering procrastinating exercises like smoking, cleaning, websurfing, facebooking, etc). Is this due to any progress in my writing ability? Not likely.....it's more due to the fact that I am just burned out, going through the motions and finishing as quickly as possible. That said, this semester has been fairly easy compared to some other ones I have muddled through. I am sure the fact that I have, personally, had a few difficult months adds to the burn out.

Don't get me wrong I love school - I love reading - I don't even mind the short writings. But, I am burned out on the long papers. Luckily, I only had three all semester. In my Women and Spirituality class I was able to do a lot of really interesting reading and research - but instead of a seminar paper, I was able to give a lecture on my findings. It went really well, too. :) However, that power point presentation may have taken me longer to put together than a big paper - but it was more creative, therefore it eliminated some of the anxiety and stress surrounding it, making it more enjoyable.

So, yes, I am officially finished with Fall '08 at Loyola. It's hard to believe I have been at Loyola for a year and a half now. Wow.

We had a lovely potluck dinner following class last night in my Spirituality and Women's Whole Health class. I spent the day huddled in a Starbucks downtown yesterday, instead of my usual Thursday routine which has a little more outdoor time, in transit. It was just tooooo cold. I usually go to my friend's condo on Thursday nights, while I wait for Graham to get out of class. Nope. Too cold. I went to the library and played on my laptop.

I am now gearing up for my trip to St Louis for three weeks......I am really looking forward to this. With all of the emotional messiness in recent days, it will be nice to be down there are staying busy at the shelter and spending so much time with mom and friends. It will be nice to be with people who "get it" and offer empathy and support during these difficult times. I don't want attention or pity - there's no need for either - but the times when friends and my mom have just said, "this must be hard for you," have offered me more comfort and solace than I can explain. Those nuggets of empathy are golden.

For now, I am staring at 3 days of glorious nothingness!! I will be working on knitted Christmas presents (shhhh can't disclose anything here!) and watching a pile of movies I have from the library (Baby Mama, Georgy Girl, Lilith and Intolerable Cruelty - wow a Coen Bros movie I haven't seen!) Speaking of Coen Bros - Blood Simple is on the new all movie channel I discovered, tonight!

I am off to find snacks and pay some attention to some dishes that have been greatly neglected.